She was there, in a black dress, that looked so much like the one he had first seen her in. Time had only made her more beautiful in his eyes. But fate, well, fate interferes. Most people couldn't have lived through what they had and not been changed.

"So," he began. "Lookit you, the big model." The words trailed off.

"Yeah." She flounced her once-again long hair in a mock-sexy way. "'Course, I wouldn't exactly say 'big.' Or even 'model.'" They were still uncomfortable a little, after all these years. "How does 'official spokeswoman for Sun Microsystems' sound?"

"Don't you even try to lie to me, Willow Rosenberg," he said. "You've changed."

"I've changed?" she said, flashing a wry smile. "You're the famous screenwriter. Who would have guessed?"

"That I'd become all rich and famous?" he returned.

"No, that you could write." she jibed. "I mean, really write." She gave him a serious face. "When you first told me about The Slayer Chronicles, I thought, 'Oh God, it'll probably be some twisted, funny sendup about our high school days, with you as the big hero.'" She paused. "Instead I see this witty, scary, well-written, well-acted piece." She practically beamed at him. "Buffy would be so proud...well maybe except for you choosing the Olson twins to play her."

"And Giles?" he asked.

"I dunno..." she began. "I'll never forgive them for what they did to him, after everything he'd done, after everything we'd done." Her face was cold and hard with the memory of it. "They deserve this. But Giles so wanted the Watchers' secrets to be kept, even after everything that happened."

"Hey," Xander said, drawing her close to support her in a hug, "we all miss G-man. And..." He wasn't going to upset her by talking about the Final Battle. "How's your kid?"

"Buffy's fine. She still asks about her dad." He couldn't she her face, of course, but he knew she was crying. "She's at that age, you know, where she wonders."  She broke their embrace. "Is...is he coming?"

"Will...I sent the invitation, but...there was no reply." Seeing the look on her face, he knew he had to change the subject, and fast. "But guess what? Cordelia's coming. So you can feel free to gloat as she chews me out yet again."

"Xander, it's been over five years since you two've seen each other. She could have changed."

"Oh yeah, she's going to be a surefire contender for the Most Changed Award." Willow grinned half-heartedly. "No, really," Xander continued. "I had this combination wooden cross and stake thing made." He went over to where his bag was resting. Opening it, he moved aside the laptop...<Xander with a laptop,> thought Willow <Things really have changed.> and revealed an elaborate wooden cross with a pointy end. <Just the right size to carry around.> Willow noted. On its crossbar were carved the words, 'Most Changed.'

"See, I plan to give it to whoever's changed the most," he explained. "Other than me, of course." A familar figure entered the door of the gym. "Oh look, here comes Tact Girl now."

Cordelia was dressed, perfectly as always, in a light blue sweater and short skirt. Only the racy shoes were missing. "Hello Willow," she said, approaching them. "Hi Xander." She seemed oddly calm.

"What, no biting wit?" said Xander. "Or biting, even?"

"Xander..." Cordelia began.

<Uh-oh,> thought Willow. <Here we go again...>

"There's no reason for us to argue." Cordelia finished.

The silence was all-encompassing.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking in the past five years," she explained. "Being with Angel kinda has that effect on you." She paused to drink from a bottle of Evian. "I've been to Tibet, done the whole tantra-reincarnation thing; French monasteries, backwoods shamans, ancient Mesopotain magicks, the whole nine yards." She took another drink. "Life's so short, so precious. I should have learned that a long time ago, but I closed my eyes to it." She looked pointedly at Xander. "So, I forgive you...even if you two don't forgive me, for my Bitch Queen stage."

Willow just sort of stood there and gaped, so it was Xander who spoke. "So..." he began. <Where to begin?> he thought. <It's like she's been turned inside-out, and now all the deep parts, the good parts, are, well, there.> "Tantra...isn't that thing where you make love for hours and hours?" <Yeah, that's good, try and be witty.>

"Well not exactly. Basically, you never stop making love. See, even while I'm talking to you, I'm still making love...it's more of a transcendental state-of-mind thing really." While Willow and Xander were still floored by that, Cordy continued. "So Willow, how have you and Oz been? Is Buffy doing alright?"

<Oh yeah, way to go Tact Girl.> thought Xander.

"Cordelia..." Willow was suddenly tired. "Maybe we should go sit down."

Cordelia agreed happily, while Xander tried to give her warning signs behind Willow's back. Cordelia took no notice of them. <Self-absorbed as always.> thought Xander. <Enlightenment, ha!>

The trio sat down on some black folding chairs to one side of the room. Xander and Cordy flanked Willow, as she began her story.

"Oz and I," Willow began. <C'mon girl, get it out.> she thought. <Funny how after vampires, demons, and angry gods, this thing still hurts the most.> "We're divorced."

"Oh no!" Cordelia cried. "But you were such the happy couple. So content in each other...what happened?"

"It happened about a year ago. It was the holidays, and around Oz's time of the month. We were having our perrenial discussion on whether to raise Buffy Christian or Jewish, and...it was so sudden, so awful. One minute I was joking about the Jewish stereotype of the successful professional, and then he goes, 'Well, what's so great about being a successful professional?', and I go, 'Well, at least you don't spend most of your time unemployed, waiting for gigs,' and he goes, 'You think I like having my hand like this? You think I like not being able to play?', and then he says, 'Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't saved you, all those years ago. For both of us.' Then he just stalked out. We haven't spoken since."

"Well, there are always second chances," said Cordelia. "Like now." She pointed to a red-haired, black-gloved figure dressed quietly cool at the other end of the room.

Oz was just staring at her. Not moving or anything, just...looking.

Cordelia yanked Willow towards him. "C'mon, this is for the good of both of you," she said.

<Aggh,> thought Xander. <Will she ever learn? This is going to make our arguments look Barney's Greatest Hits.> He shivered a bit at the thought. <Not that that isn't particularly scary in and of itself.>

Cordy had brought Willow within conversational range of Oz. "C'mon, say it, I know you want to," Cordy said.

Oz and Willow both opened their mouths at the same time.

"You first," he said.

"No, you," she said. "I haven't heard you...in so long."

"Willow...i just wanted to say..." He fingered his bad right hand, feeling the burns and and the deep gouges underneath. "I'm sorry." He couldn't look at her. "I had no right to do this to you. To us." He paused, and swallowed. "But seeing my dreams put on hold for so long, while you just got more famous and successful...I was jealous, I was hurt." He finally looked at her. "I would've done this earlier, but when I learned you'd gone to Xander to...console yourself -- I was so bitter, so very bitter." His eyes were full of tears. "I hope you can forgive me...if not today, then someday."

And he realized, she was crying too.

"Oh Oz..." she hugged him to herself fiercely. "I thought all this time it was my fault. I saw how much it was killing you, not being able to play. And when you left," she drew in a breath, "I thought, 'Oh God, I've ripped out his heart. Stupid, stupid, stupid!'"

"Hey," he said in the monotones of Classic Oz, "you are not stupid. Ever."

She giggled, still crying a bit.

Cordy pulled out some tissues. "Here," she said, handing them to both, "I figured you'd need these."

After the requisite dabbing and blowing of noses, Oz spoke again. "So...how's Buffy?"

"She misses her Dad." Willow said simply. She bit her lip. "How's the hand?"

"Still hurts. More around the time of the full moon." he said. "I didn't mean it, you know." He tried to smile at her. "If there had been another way to stop you from being sacrificed, I would have done it, and spared us all the pain." He shrugged. "But the only way was to grab the knife by the blade. There wasn't any other." He stared her straight it the eyes. "Don't ever think otherwise."

She remembered the horror. She had been chained to a stone altar, about to sacrificed to one of the Old Ones whose name even she had trouble pronouncing. Xander lay unconscious on the floor nearby, but Oz's lycanthropy had let him recover just a tiny bit faster. Enough to wake up, watch as the knife plunged toward her heart, and leap, with all his strength, to grab it and wrestle it away from Melchizidek. Buffy and Giles had broken in a second later, to kill Melchizidek, and free her.

She had watched as Oz writhed in pain on the floor, clutching his hand.

It was Giles who discovered it first. "The knife," he said. "It's silver. Enchanted silver."

The wounds never healed.

Her reverie was interrupted, as Oz walked over to Xander.

"Hey Xand," Oz said.

"Hey Oz," he replied. There was an uncomfortable silence.

"Saw The Slayer Chronicles," Oz said. "Very nice. Giles would have approved." There was another one of those uncomfortable silences. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you and Willow to save him."

"Don't blame yourself," Xander replied. His voice became bitter. "Blame the Watcher Council. They're the ones who ordered him executed, after what happened to Buffy."

"It wasn't his fault," Cordelia broke in.

"It wasn't anybody's fault," said Willow.

Five years ago, it had been three years since...three years since. The end. No new Slayer had appeared to take Buffy's place. And with the merger of Faith's and Buffy's powers a few years back, this meant the world was all but defenseless against the forces of darkness.

The Watcher Council was, to use a Britticism, 'displeased.'

Willow pointed out to her then-superiors that supernatural activity had dropped to a thousand-year low with Set's defeat. Xander also pointed out that if the Council so much as harmed a hair on Willow's head, or any of their friends and family, he'd distribute the entire contents of the Watcher Diaries on the Internet. After all, Willow putting the whole damn thing on DVD-ROM had certain advantages.

Giles, much to both of their surprise, had protested.

"You can't do this," he said angrily. "It was my fault. I lost Buffy. I lost the Slayer. I have to take responsibility for my actions. It won't serve anybody if the Council is torn by internal strife, or exposed to the world."

They'd managed to talk him out of it.

One night, Willow had found a handwritten note under her door. It had read:
 

Dear Willow,

You must not blame yourself for what I am about to do. I assure you it is for the greater good of all concerned. If I do not do this, you, Xander, and your families will almost certainly be harmed.

So by the time you read this letter I will already have remanded myself into the custody of the Council. I shall most certainly be executed, but it will be quick and painless. Don't cry overmuch.

I am a Watcher. I've been training for things like this all my life.

Your friend and mentor,

Rupert

<We've all lost so much,> she thought. <I hope what we gained was worth it.>

"Angel, how long have you been standing there?" ask Cordelia suddenly.

"Long enough to see that you're all trying to take my title as Most Brooding," he returned with a faint, forced smile.

"Don't worry Dead-Boy," quipped Xander, "you'll never lose that one." Xander's face was open, gentle.

"You know Xander," Angel replied, "after everything we've been through..." He paused for dramatic effect. "I still hate it when you call me that."

They indulged in a little laughter.

"She's not coming back, you know," said Willow gently.

"I can always hope." said Angel.

"It's been eight years," said Cordelia, without malice. "You have to let her go."

"I can't." He looked down at the floor, rubbed his temples. "I've tried. You know I've tried." He looked up again. "We never found her body, you know. And there's been no new Slayer called."

"I think that was part of the deal." said Xander.

Eight years ago...

Xander entered the gym, carrying Cordelia's limp form. Buffy paniced.

"Set?" she asked. Xander nodded. "Is she...?" Xander nodded again. Buffy had no time for tears. She quickly made her way over to the approaching boy, and told him, "There's time to mourn later. We have to prepare."

"Sorry, Slayer, can't do that," said Xander.

Buffy looked up in time to be knocked halfway across the gym by Set's sucker punch.

"What a perfect host your friend is!" beamed Set. "If I'd known he'd been possed by hyenas earlier, I would have done this sooner."

Buffy snarled, and flipped to her feet. "GET OUT OF HIM! NOW!"

"Or what?" In Xander's body, Set smiled mischieviously. Though under the circumstances, it looked more sinister than playful. "C'mon Buffy, let's get sweaty." He grinned. "Aww...scared of hurting your ol' pal Xander?" She circled him, betraying no emotion. "Or is it my touch you're afraid of?"

Then the fight started.

It was a long, bloody thing. Buffy gave as good as she got. When Willow and Oz entered with the True Ankh, both Buffy and Xander were still circling each other, panting. Willow threw her the box containing the Ankh.

"Game's over, Hyena Boy," Buffy grinned. She opened the silver casket, removing a brightly glowing blue ankh. She advanced on Set. Darkness flitted before her eyes.

"Hmm," said Oz. "No." He stretched his arms a bit. "Werewolf. I like."

Before she could react, Willow was suddenly grabbed. Her eyes shot open. "C'mon, give your snugglebunny a kiss," said Oz. Willow screamed and pounded at his chest, to no effect. And Buffy was running towards them...

A blast of black lightning sent her sprawling. "Buffy, please!" complained Set. "Willow and I are sharing a Kodak moment!" He bent to kiss her...

Buffy was up and running before she could think about it...

Almost there...she jumped...

Oz's lips brushed Willow's ever so slightly, and she went limp.

Another blast of black lightning sent her flying away immediately, but its effects were lessened by the Ankh.

"Woo!" said Set. "Let's see, that's two for me..." he indicated Cordelia and Willow, "and one for you." He motioned at Xander, who, Buffy realized to her growing horror, was dying from the injuries she had given him. "Who's next?" Set, in Oz's body, looked around the room. Giles and Angel were just running in.

"Watcher!" cried Set happily. Black lightning burst from his figertips towards Giles.

Angel dove in front of him, taking the blast. He was flung back, flesh smoking, but largely unharmed.

"Darn." said Set. "Now as for the Slayer... AGGGH!" Blue light tinged with gold beamed from the True Ankh onto Set.

"Hey, Devil Boy, guess what?" said Buffy. "The Ankh's healing me. And I'm reinforcing it. We've got this whole funky feedback thing going." She was right over him now; the Ankh was blazingly bright. "Go straight to Hell; do not pass Go, do not destroy the world." She grinned, holding him by his lapels, with his back to Giles and Angel.

Darkness flashed.

"What do you know?" said Angel. "A Get Out of Hell free card."

Buffy screamed her frustration, redoubling her efforts.

Oz slumped to the ground, slowly coming to his senses. He took a look at Willow. "Oh God no," he said. "This is so wrong."

Buffy interrupted him. "No time," she said. "Grab Giles and get out." He tried to protest. "NOW!" she roared.

Angel advanced on her, in obvious pain, but still smiling. "Buffy, Buffy, Buffy." He frowned and shook his head. "You can't win. You and I, we're meant to be together. We could have it all." He grinned. "Literally."

Blue and gold light filled the room.

"Nowhere to go this time, Set." said Buffy.

Shuddering, he moved Angel's lips. "You fool, don't you know that if you use the full power of the Ankh we'll both die?"

Oz dragged a hesitant Giles away. "We've gotta go, man! It's Armageddon time! Game over!" Oz turned away, leading Giles, as the combined power of the Slayer and the True Ankh was turned against Set.

...

"It was like the wrath of God," Giles would later tell them. "Like in that movie, what was it?"

"Raiders of the Lost Ark?" suggested Willow.

"Yes," said Giles. "The explosion, as you know, leveled the school. But somehow, you three..."

"Got three return tickets on the big ol' Voyage of Life," said Xander.

"Yes, well, one of the powers of a True Ankh is the power of resurrection," said Giles. "But neverless, I still consider it a miracle."

"A miracle," said Angel. He looked into the sunrise from Giles' window. "This definitely qualifies as the miracle of life." He smiled, but still looked immensely sad. "I never thought a sunrise could be so painful." Xander looked up at him quizzically from the couch. "I have everything I've wanted for a century, except her. And that one thing makes the rest inconsequential."

...

The silence of remembrance was broken by the crash of thunder. Blue-gold light formed in a circle in the middle of the gym.

With a surprisingly soft 'plop,' the body of Buffy Summers dropped to the ground, clothes smoking, the True Ankh still clutched in one hand. The two were surrounded by a soft aura of blue and gold.

They were at her side in an instant.

"Hey guys," she said weakly. "I miss anything?" she tried to get up, and faile